One police officer killed in Charlie Hebdo attack was Muslim

Police investigators search for evidence during an operation in the eastern French city of Reims January 8, 2015, after the shooting against the Paris offices of Charlie Hebdo, a satirical newspaper (Reuters / Christian Hartmann) / Reuters

French police have identified one of the two officers killed in the shooting attack at the offices of satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo in Paris. The victim was a follower of Islam, media reported.

Merabet, a Muslim by faith, was serving as a patrolman in the
11th arrondissement, which is the district where Charlie Hebdo’s
office is located in Paris, the Daily Caller reported.

The identity of the second officer has not been confirmed by
officials, but media reports stated that he was assigned to
protect the defiant editorial director of the provocative outlet,
Stéphane “Charb” Charbonnier.

Charbonnier was known as a staunch defender of his freedom of
expression, as he dismissed both personal threats and the advice
of the French government when publishing satirical cartoons
deemed sensitive for believers. In 2011, Charlie Hebdo’s offices
were firebombed after the outlet published a spoof issue which
mocked Sharia law and was “guest edited” by the Prophet Muhammad.
In 2012, Charbonnier oversaw publication of an even more
provocative issue on Muhammad, which showed the prophet naked and
in sexual poses. The journal mocked Christianity and other religions, as
well.

On Wednesday morning, at least two black-hooded gunmen armed with
Kalashnikov rifles entered the building of the French satirical
weekly Charlie Hebdo, killing 10 journalists and two policemen.
According to survivors of the massacre, the gunmen shouted
“Allahu Akbar” and claimed they were from Al-Qaeda.

Police have launched a manhunt for three suspects, identified as
Said Kouachi, 34, Cherif Kouachi, 32, and Hamyd Mourad, 18.

The youngest suspect, Mourad, reportedly handed himself in at a
police station in Charleville Mézières after seeing his name on
the list of shooting suspects on social media, French outlets
reported. The 18-year-old claims to have alibi of his innocence,
which is being investigated.

Dozens of police raided a building in a council estate in Reims
overnight into Thursday, and then carried out another raid in the
northern commune of Charleville Mézières. The raids resulted in
no confirmed arrests or incidents, with media reports saying that
evidence was gathered at one site and a relative of a suspect was
detained for questioning at the other one.

Meanwhile, thousands of people across the world have reacted to
the shooting, which is believed to have been carried out in
retaliation to the controversial cartoons by Charlie Hebdo,
targeting religion and particularly the Muslim Prophet Muhammad.

While some held vigils and rallies in protest of the massacre,
others took to social media to decry the murders and discuss the
implications and consequences of the attack, including for
Muslims living in Western states.